About the Ranch

About the Ranch

Santa Margarita Ranch has been owned by the Collis family since 2003.  Don and Margaret, along with sons David and Chris, have a love for both the land and history of South Texas.  The Collis men named the ranch after Margaret, adding a classical Spanish twist to her name in honor of the land's rich history with Mexico.
Historically, Santa Margarita Ranch land was part of the infamous Nueces Strip, the disputed boundary territory between Texas and Mexico.  With the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1836, the victorious Texans claimed the Rio Grande as the new northern border.  Mexico's continued claims to the Nueces River as the northern border ignited more than a decade of cattle rustling, murder, kidnapping and land swindling that kept the settlers in fear.  These violent acts were finally subdued by the actions of the Texas Rangers.  After the US annexation of Texas in 1845, and the Treaty of Hidalgo, the Rio Grande was permanently declared the northern border of Mexico, thus unifying Santa Margarita Ranch.  In 1853, the US government established the nearby Fort Ewell to protect the settlers from bandits and Indian attacks.

Santa Margarita Ranch is located in the south central part of La Salle County, with the Nueces River cutting through the northern portion of the property.  The ranch is typical South Texas brush country with many original growth Mesquite, large Huisache, Coma motts, Blackbrush and Texas Persimmon.  Along the river, the landscape changes to a healthy riparian bottomland with a heavily wooded corridor.  There are seven ponds, including one river overflow pond.

Historically, the land was used for cattle ranching.  Today, Santa Margarita is used for guided White-tailed Deer and exotic hunting.  Family and friends come to enjoy being in South Texas, hunting, birding, and spending holidays.

The Collis family philosophy is very simple: to leave the land and wildlife better than when they found it.  They desire to create environments for old seed banks to sprout, for water to slow down as it moves along the riverbed, and for their fields to hold water longer.  Steps are being taken to improve water retention in every area possible.  The family hopes to return more native grasses, scrubs and trees, thus attracting more abundant and diverse wildlife.  As the land develops, Santa Margarita plans to offer wildlife viewing and photography opportunities to their business plan.  The Collises work to ensure future generations will be able to hunt, tour and photograph the beautiful landscapes and wildlife so abundant in South Texas.